Racing back toward the pack

The A’s wait patiently to find out who they are going to play in the upcoming playoffs, because patiently is the only way they can. The Tigers and Twins are racing back toward the pack, albeit a bit too late to do anyone else any good.

But the funny thing is, so are the A’s. Shut out twice, then blowing a 5-0 lead Saturday to the Angels, the boys go wherever they’re going on what may not be a low, but is certainly not a high. Whatever rest the veterans might have gotten, a win amidst the dross would have been helpful, because whatever you want to say about the A’s, knowing how to cruise into the postseason is not part of their skill set.

This might be an issue if not for the fact that Detroit and Minnesota can’t navigate the Royals or White Sox when it matters most, and losing when you need to win is still a lot worse than losing when you don’t really have to give a damn. It might also be an issue if not for the fact that everyone will forget all this once someone steps up and either wins, or loses fortuitously, so we can get to the who-plays-whom stage.

But in the hours between now and then, it seems almost enormous. Which is to say, small-but-it’s-all-we-have.